Sharp Dressed Man
by ThePointGirl
Summary: Teen verse 1993. Cobb's got an interview with an Architect firm. Trouble is, he's nervous, and doesn't think he'll be good enough for the placement. Eames tries to persuade him otherwise the way he knows how.


**Title:** Sharp Dressed Man

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Inception

1993

'How's Dom? Oh he's bloody marvellous. He's fretting about this interview he's got for an Architect firm. They only take in, oh, 10 graduates a year and he's trying to secure a place. They offered him an interview, and that's why the blond haired git is growling like he's a love child of Jack Nicholson' Eames said over the table to Michelle who raised her eyebrows.

'Jack Nichol… Okay. Wow. So he's worried then?' and Eames rolled his eyes.

'Of course he is. He's lucky, actually, I knew he'd get an interview. He's a talented bastard. Don't ever tell him that, I don't wish for his ego to be inflated anymore than it already is'

Michelle chuckled, shaking her head, and scratching her cheek. 'Fentress Architects are an amazing firm with really high aspirations. I hope he gets it. Actually, they must see something in him, otherwise they wouldn't have offered him an interview' she turned the page of the booklet she was reading, and took a bite from her bagel. 'I love that boy, but seriously, he needs a wake up call. He's talented'

'You're right, doll. But he won't believe me. Come on, you said you wanted to sit in my lecture, well shift your arse' Eames said, glancing at the clock, and realising that they had better actually move. The girl had pleaded with him to let her come to one of his scheduled lectures. So, earlier he said that if she wanted to sit in, she could.

'All right Danny-boy. Romanticism, here I come' and they walked together to the lecture theatre.

* * *

'They are a huge company and they could set me up for life' Eames nodded along to this rabbiting commentary that he was given as he sat on the couch, Dickens long forgotten next to him.

'Are you, perhaps, telling me this to project your nerves that they won't pick you?' and the blond haired boy turned, his hands clenching.

'Perhaps…' and the long suffering sigh sounded once again. Honestly. 'Do you want to know what's worse? My only suit is hanging up in my wardrobe at home' and he flapped.

'Why do you need a suit? They know you're a student; they aren't going to mind that much. Jeans and your black shirt will be fine' judging by the look on his friend's face this wasn't what Cobb wanted to hear.

'I know but…' and there it was: that falter. That fragment of vulnerability that showed Dominic Cobb didn't think he was good enough, for anybody.

'Mate, listen, it's fine. Don't worry about it, that silly head of yours is getting too caught up in it. Psychology of interviews is that they don't want someone who's mapped out everything down to the cuffs on their wrists; they want someone they can mould. Just like you. If you don't more your lecturer is going to want your arse' and Eames smiled fondly as Cobb nodded in thanks and darted off, the door closing behind him.

He finished another chapter with notes on Hard Times and put his work aside. Putting the door on a latch he walked to the Court's Floor 5 phone. Normally used for security, but could be used for emergency home calls. Eames dialled the number and tapped his foot at the tone, while glancing up and down the hallway. There was click as the receiver had been picked up.

'Hello?'

'Hello dad' he said and smirked into the mouth piece.

'Daniel, it's good to hear from you. How have you been?'

'Oh I've been fine. I've been getting my head down and working just like you said I should have done a few years ago. How's mum?' he laughed and his dad's chuckle was good to hear.

'Good. Oh your mother's fine; she's coping without you if that's what you are implying. How's that roommate of yours… Dominic, right?' and Eames could hear a rustle of paper. He had interrupted his dad's work, like he had been doing for the last 19 years.

'He's actually why I'm ringing. Not that I didn't want talk, but he's in a bit of muddle' Eames hedged.

'I'm not paying off a gambling debt. I did that with Peter of yours a few months back' his dad snapped, the tone of his voice conveying a lot of annoyance. To be fair Peter and Eames' dad never did see eye to eye, but after persuading him Eames got his father to help Peter out with his debt.

'Oh no Dom doesn't gamble; rather bad at it actually. No, he's got an interview with Fentress Architects' and Eames paused, waiting for his dad's reaction.

'Tell him congratulations from me. I thought he was a smart boy, now what's the issue?' and Eames rolled his eyes. His dad's feelings towards Peter did not transfer towards Cobb. In fact his dad really liked him.

'Well he's nervous – as one would be for an interview with them – and hem doesn't have a suit. Well he does – at home' and Eames waited for his dad to realise what he was asking.

'And you are asking me if I could get a suit for him?'

His dad had always been good at reading into what he wanted to say. That mostly meant, in his teenage years, Eames couldn't lie to him.

'I know his measurements, so if you could pass them onto Colin…'

His dad heaved a sigh and Eames heard the click of a pen. 'Tell me. He had better get a place' he dad muttered. Anyone would think he was actually annoyed, however Eames knew the man well enough to know that he was merely tired.

Eames gave the measurements, and even offered a cut of the blazer.

'Daniel, how on earth do you know all of this?' his dad sounded as if he would rather not know, but asked anyway.

'I've got a good eye' he answered partially honestly.

'My god, you spend too much time watching Dominic'

'You sound like mum'

'Be quiet. Right, I'll get hold of Colin and he'll call you back so keep your ears open for the phone' his dad issued a quick goodbye and the line went dead. Eames put the receiver down and pouted. _The things he does for that boy _he thought. Hearing footsteps he looked up, and grinned as it was Helen walking towards their apartment.

'Looking for me pumpkin?' he asked and she almost jumped, twirling to smile at him. Her arms carried a few books, none of them subject related, and she wore a white blouse and blue scarf tied at her neck.

'You wish, actually I was looking for Dom. I've got his copy of The Great Gatsby, finally took if off Michelle' and she rolled her eyes, waving the said copy of Fitzgerald's book aloft.

'Ah he's still in a lecture. Do you want to come in? I need a cup of tea'

'I'm dying for a cuppa, and my _lovely _roommate won't go and get some more milk' she deadpanned. Eames grinned at her.

'Well I guess I could stop you dying of without caffeine I suppose. Come on in, my love I have something to tell you' and he opened the door to apartment.

They were on their second cup of tea when the phone rang in the hallway. Eames jumped up and skidded to the phone. Helen followed, leaning against the wall, watching him with a vaguely amused expression. He told Helen about Cobb's predicament and what he proposed to do. Helen said Michelle had been telling her about it.

Eames picked up the phone, hoping that it was for him and not an aunt calling abck for someone else. 'Hello, Daniel Eames here'

'Hello Daniel, it is Colin Fairweather, head tailor at Fairweather Limited. Your father called me about a suit you want altered for a friend?'

'That's right, One of your premade suits, if you could alter it and send it to my university residence you would be doing me – well – a few people a lot of favours'

'I received your father's measurements, and you would like one of our own suits to be altered. The altering and delivery will mean it will not arrive for about 3 weeks. What may I ask is the suit for?'

'Oh, my friend has an interview with a firm, and I thought I would be nice and make him feel more confident with a suit' and he winked at Helen who smirked and winked back.

'Ah I see, so it's business not pleasure. I think I can make this happen. You are a very kind friend Daniel'

'How much is this going to be?' Eames asked, mentally working out the maths from his rent and student or job money. Christ, this would set him back a bit.

'It's on the house. I can afford to give out gifts once in a while so you needn't worry. I have marked out the measurements. II do usually like to see my first time customers to do the fitting myself, but as I know that you have an eye for tailoring I trust your judgement Daniel. You should come and work for me once you are finished with your degree' and Eames laughed.

'Thank you Colin, I may keep that offer in mind...' and Eames saw Cobb coming around the corner like Helen had down before. Eames waved at him. 'Thank you for your help, I'll let you get back to work as I know you are a very busy man' he said into the mouthpiece. Cobb gave him a questioning look, and Helen tapped him on the arm and muttered something about business and family.

'That is true, I am. I will begin to work on the suit for you and will contact you if there is any trouble. Have a good day Daniel' and after Eames said his goodbye the line cut off.

'What's that about?' Cobb curiosity peaked and Eames smirked.

'Oh just a friend of my dad's who runs a X rated shop in Soho' and Cobb blinked.

'That's not true is it?'

'Yeah' and he winked. Actually his dad _did _have a friend who owned an X rated shop in Soho, that just wasn't the man Eames was just talking to. 'Come on, I'll make you a cup of tea Dom, how was the lecture?'

* * *

Eames did not hear from Colin at all, to which he came to the conclusion that everything was fine. He was reading next to the window one afternoon where there was an ingressive beep from a van. Eames peered down and saw Fairweather Limited van parked outside the courts. So he hadn't had an issue with security that was good. Eames went downstairs and met with the man who had opened the back doors of the van.

'A delivery for Mr Eames?' and his London accent was music to Eames' ears. He nodded.

'Yup, that's for me. It should have Colin Fairweather's signature on the box?' That's what his dad had told him to expect, to know it was his suit and not someone else. That would be embarrassing. The man lifted a rectangle box with the stamp of C. F Lmtd on the side, which none of the other's did. He nodded.

'You're lucky; he doesn't personally do a lot of suits now. Can you sign for me?' and he did so, flashing a grin at the man. Eames brought it back upstairs and pushed open the door to Cobb's room. He placed the box on the bed, and opened the lid after removing the plastic covering. He scanned the suit. It was a classic black suit, except this one had a blue and white bourgeois lining. Eames felt quite envious. There was a chosen tie curled and placed on the top. Eames smiled at the paisley tie, it looked more like something he would pick out, but Cobb would appreciate it. Eames looked around the room. At the desk was where he found a memo pad and he scrawled:

_I hope this is what you wanted for Fentress Architects. They better bloody like you now X Eames_

Eame stuck the note on the lid, closing the box up. He left the room, and feigned innocence. He had a tutorial, so as soon as Cobb came back he would leave.

That was precisely what he did, he got his books and notes ready and as Cobb came in, smiling but looking tired, he clapped him on the shoulder and left with a 'See you later, mate!', Cobb looking quite puzzled for a moment.

Eames returned to the apartment after his tutorial, his head swimming with theories and Renaissance society. He was damned hungry! So when he plonked his bag down on the couch, and a voice carried that could only be his roommate, he gave a lazy wave as though to acknowledge his existence.

'You know you didn't have to' Eames didn't realise his eyes were closed until he opened them. The sight standing before him caused to him blink a good number of times. For Daniel Eames to be speechless without a cutting remark was extremely rare.

For the boy he was looking at, stood no longer in jeans and a shirt, but in the suit Eames had ordered for him. Christ did he look good.

Dominic Cobb, as a few girls would happily croon, was a pretty boy with those blue eyes and pink bow lips that just made him prey to the opposite sex. He generally looked good, but right at this second Eames found his friend jaw dropping attractive.

The cut of the black suit blazer elongated everything, making the guy impossibly taller. The paisley tie sat in a near Winchester knot at his collar, and even with his hands in his pockets, Cobb looked authoritative. It was all rather appealing. He looked like just the man Fentress would want. The thought made Eames' heart do an odd sort of stutter.

'Yes, I'm aware' he nodded, finally looking at his roommate. Cobb smirked, a smile that should look completely wrong on his boyish features, but just made him appear dangerous and sly.

'How did you know my measurements?' Eames could hear a playful tone in his friend's voice.

'I could say something incredibly dirty here, but I'm not going to' Eames sniffed, and Cobb laughed.

'Who paid for this?' Cobb asked and he wobbled on his feet, the angle all wrong.

'Let's just say the tailor did it as a favour to my dad' and Cobb's eyes widened. It was there that Eames could read the guilt. 'Because my dad is oh so proud of you for getting an interview with Fentress. Mum probably is too, as dad's probably told her. Good god, we sound like a couple' Eames shook his head, and grinning at Cobb who shrugged smiling lightly.

'I'll have to thank your dad'

'Yeah well, get that bloody placement' he smirked, and then looked at the watch on his wrist. 'Dinner at Helen and Michelle's? I would say stay in that, but considering it is going to be pizza and beer, I wouldn't' and Cobb chuckled, nodding. He undid the button of his suit jacket, the tie swinging softly. Eames in standing up, now next to his friend, thumbed the tie thoughtfully.

'You know, I think you have a thing for paisley' Cobb eyed him warily.

'I'm English, deal with it. Besides, you'll have to remember me when you wear the tie' Eames winked. Cobb rolled his eyes, however Eames almost missed the way Cobb flattened a hand along the silk tie.

They had dinner at Helen and Michelle's and the night was filled with badly sung Queen, pizza stains on Michelle's jeans - to which she smeared Cobb's old varsity t-shirt with tomato sauces – and Helen suggesting something rather crude involving Cobb's paisley tie and Michelle. They toasted to Fentress Architects.

Not long after his interview, before which the girls had wished him luck, Cobb received a letter. It sat on the table with Cobb's hands clasped in front of it.

'For the love of King George the fifth please open that' Eames said in a bored tone. Underneath his calm exterior he was just as nervous as Cobb looked. A hand reached out and picked up the offending white envelope. There was silence in the apartment apart from the slid of the glue gently coming unstuck from the paper, and then the shuffle of paper against paper. Eames watched his friend's face the whole time.

Cobb was reading it, his eyes travelling across the page, and his lips whispering the words. Then he stopped, and he raised his eyes to Eames.

'I got the placement. They loved me'

'I knew you would. It was that paisley tie' Eames smirked and Cobb chucked the acceptance letter at him.

* * *

Review if you like it, and tell me what I could add or improve on. P.S The paisley I got from the second dream level with the paisley ties worn buy our lovely boys XD


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